Something Entirely New
by CocoDisney
Summary: They never meant for it to happen. But it's not something they could just forget about. Perhaps, when given a chance, the experience could make them closer than ever.


(Note: I don't own _Steven Universe Future_. It belongs to Rebecca Sugar.)

**This is an idea I had for a little while. If any continuity errors occur when ****_Future_**** airs again, just accept this as an alternate universe.**

Out on the green grassy fields, three figures were together. One was periwinkle with rainbow hair, another was blue with darker hair, and the last was green with light yellow hair.

The trio of gems were doing another one of their hangouts. They did this whenever life got too busy, and needed a breath of fresh air. They would talk about whatever came to mind, like shenanigans that happened during classes at Little Homeschool, a new meep morp in progress, etc. There was nothing these friends couldn't talk about.

"So when Steven called me saying he needed a house repair, I was on the job, as always. I assumed it was minor damage, but no, the entire front of the house was completely destroyed. I asked him what caused this, but he wouldn't tell me," Bismuth shook her head.

Lapis was on her belly, plucking at the blades of grass. "I'm starting to become worried about him. I haven't seen him since he left Little Homeschool."

Peridot nodded in agreement. "Amethyst tells me that he's got some issues, but she doesn't know what they are."

Lapis said, "That's the point. No one can help him, because he won't tell anyone his problems."

Bismuth lowered her gaze. "Poor kid. He doesn't deserve anything that comes to him."

Lapis took her friend's arm. "I know. But he'll get through this. He always does." She sounded hopeful, but also a bit doubtful of her own words.

There were a few moments of silence. "So, Lazuli, how is Freckles' progress?" asked Peridot. Freckles was the nickname they had come up with for the lapis lazuli that recently came to Earth, after the golden specks on her cheeks.

"She's doing well. She's been taking dance lessons. She says that now that her 'friend' isn't there, she doesn't feel pressured to think and act the way she does. She's happy about that."

"That's good."

The three fell into a comfortable silence, content to just be together. Bismuth smiled, then pulled her two companions into a hug. "I know I've said this before, and this might seem completely random, but I love you two."

"We love you too, Biz," Peridot smiled back, along with Lapis. They embraced, unaware of the fact that their gemstones were glowing.

Their bodies then became a bright white, and combined into a solid mass of light. The mass then took a form, the gemstones changing color and aligning themselves to their respective positions. Then, with a burst of bright light, the fusion was complete.

The new gem was massive, probably about Alexandrite's height, and had a stocky build, but also a bit thin. She had a grayish-greenish complexion, and six eyes, one pair purple, another blue, and the last one green, covered by a yellow visor. Just past both her shoulders was Bismuth's star tattoo. Two forearms came out of her elbows, so altogether, she had four arms. Her hair was triangle-shaped like Peridot's, but more poofy, streaked with yellow, green, purple, and blue. She wore a dark purple top with an open back and a star on the front, a thick golden sash tied around her waist, cactus-green leggings with star-shaped cutouts, and royal blue boots with the toes open.

The fusion opened her eyes and looked around wildly, wondering what had just happened. She stared herself down, feeling her gemstones. When she figured it out, she did the first thing that came to mind.

She completely freaked out, almost immediately splitting up, causing Bismuth, Lapis, and Peridot to fall to the ground in a daze.

Bismuth, having experienced fusion before, was the first to recover. "Guys, you okay?"

Peridot shook her head to get rid of her dizziness. "Yeah, I'm fine. But, how's Lapis?"

Bismuth knew of Lapis' track record when it came to fusion. Alarmed, she and Peridot quickly turned to her with looks of horror.

Lapis was shaking uncontrollably, her eyes darting around as if looking for some unseen foe, and she was whimpering loudly. Peridot crawled over to her friend and put her hand on her shoulder. "Lapis?"

Lapis spread her wings rapidly, knocking the green gem back, then flew off. Bismuth and Peridot called out to her. They then looked at each other.

"What are we supposed to do, Biz? Should we get Steven?"

Bismuth considered the idea. While she knew solving problems was the gem hybrid's thing, something just didn't feel right about that.

"I don't think so, Peridot. We can't just keep relying on the meatball to solve our problems. That's not fair on him. I think we should deal with this on our own."

Peridot looked as if she wanted to protest, but just sighed. "I think you're right. I'll get my metal lid and locate Lapis."

She ran over to a warp pad and disappeared, then came back with a trashcan lid. She used her ferrokinesis to hover in the air and look around. "There! On that tall hill!"

Following her direction, Bismuth ran until she caught sight of her blue friend. Lapis was hugging her knees to her chest, her eyes closed. She was still quivering, but not as badly as before.

The rainbow gem and the green gem sat beside her. "Lapis?" Bismuth asked softly.

Lapis opened her eyes and saw her friends. She panicked. "Oh! I'm so sorry, guys! I didn't mean to fly off like that, it's just-"

"Lapis," Bismuth said sternly, shutting her up. "Don't apologize. It's not your fault. Your reaction was understandable. None of us meant for that fusion to happen. I doubt even Garnet could've predicted it."

"But I couldn't help it - being in an identity that's not my own - I couldn't help being reminded of-"

The water gem stopped talking, burying her face in her hands. Peridot slung her arm around her friend's shoulders.

"Lapis. I may have not gone through what you have - stars, I never even experienced fusion before this - but I want to let you know I'm here for you. Nothing will ever change that."

Bismuth added, "There's something I want to tell you. Peridot, you may listen if you want."

Peridot made herself comfortable, and Lapis sat back to listen as Bismuth started to speak. "The truth is, I know exactly what you're going through."

Lapis' eyes widened as her friend continued. "I've been in a toxic fusion. I've been both the abused and the abuser. I've felt weak and helpless. I was even scared to fuse for a while."

"Really?" asked Lapis, amazed. "How come you never told us this?"

"There are things I prefer to keep in the dark. But I think this is a good time to tell you. This is a rather long story, so beware. And Lapis, anytime you want me to stop, just tell me."

Bismuth took a deep breath. "Back during the rebellion, we were fighting this huge battle. Then a massive storm broke out, and I was separated from my group in the confusion. When all was clear, I found myself in a forest, along with a Homeworld ruby who had also been separated. She immediately began complaining that with no backup, she had no power. And I was like, whatever! Then we heard this growl. It was some creature that longer exists today.

"The ruby panicked, and then begged me to fuse. I was like, are you out of your mind? I thought you were against cross-fusions! And there's no way I'm fusing with a Homeworld loyalist. But she still insisted. Even I could see that we had no other choice, as the creature was getting closer. So," Bismuth paused, as a look of disgust crossed her face. "we fused."

Peridot looked disturbed as well. "Rubies always seemed to be all about the power. But, stars, I can't believe that ruby did that."

Bismuth nodded in agreement. "We defeated the creature, then I wanted to hurry up and unfuse, but man, that ruby had a lot of willpower. She took control, and forced me to take a backseat. We spent the next while fused, and I could feel myself slipping away. Many times, I tried to fight back, but she was always dominant. And I hated it. I hated feeling weak. I hated feeling helpless. It made me hate Homeworld even more. I tried everything I could think of to save my identity. I dumped my bitterness and resentment on that ruby, but she only held on even stronger. I felt so weak that I almost resigned myself to my apparent fate."

Bismuth closed her eyes for a second, then opened them to look at Lapis. She looked very intrigued - and empathetic. "Should I stop?"

"No, no. Keep going. How did you manage to break free of her control?"

"Right. So, that ruby made no secret of her hatred for me. Through all her abuse sessions, she said that she only kept me around for the muscle, and wanted to stay a fusion forever. I tried talking sense into her, saying that we'd both be shattered if Homeworld found us, but she didn't care. All that mattered to her was the power. So, all this time, either she was abusing me, or I was abusing her." Bismuth's voice cracked a little on that last part. "I feel bad about it now. Whether she deserved it or not, it doesn't feel right."

"That's how I felt afterwards," Lapis said. "Jasper may have deserved all the things I did to her, but that doesn't make them right."

"Exactly. So, I was nearly too far gone by the time someone found us. Luckily, it was Rose, Pearl, and Garnet. They recognized me by my gem placement, and called out to me. Of course, the ruby made us attack them. But hearing their voices reminded me why I was fighting to be free in the first place. It gave me a power boost, and I finally knocked that ruby off her pedestal and ended the fusion. Of course, I wasn't unscathed. In fact, I was a complete mess by the time I defused. A broken, sobbing, mess."

Bismuth smiled a little, unashamed. Lapis asked, "But, how did you get over it?"

"Oh, I was beyond scared to fuse again for a long time after that. I was already tormented by nightmares and flashbacks, and I didn't want to suffer more. But then, Garnet told me something I will never forget."

Lapis and Peridot sat back, eager. "She told me that fusions are like relationships. If you have a good relationship, the fusion is pleasant. If you have a toxic relationship, well, we both know what that feels like. She told me that it was okay if I never fused again, and the decision was up to me. She asked if I wanted to learn to fuse again. And I was very conflicted about it, but ultimately, I said yes. It took a few years, but eventually I could fuse without having a panic attack."

Lapis was amazed that Bismuth actually accomplished what she couldn't. "I never even tried to fuse after my experience with Malachite. I didn't want to."

"And that's okay, Lapis. Whether or not you fuse is up to you. If you don't, again, that's okay. Sure, we'll be proud if you manage to do it, but we'll be perfectly happy with you unable to."

Bismuth looked her friend straight in the eye. "It's up to you, Lapis. Perhaps you can start to see fusion as something other than a prison. Maybe you'll never change your views. Either way is fine with us."

"That's right," Peridot said firmly. "We'll support you either way."

Lapis looked at her two friends. "What if I decide I want to, but then I back out?"

"That's okay, too, Lazuli," said Peridot. "Garnet offered to fuse with me back when I was trying to understand fusion. I accepted, but then I backed out. And she was fine with it."

Lapis thought about it. Bismuth and Peridot weren't Jasper. They wouldn't pressure her to do things she didn't want to do. But, one thing still remained on her mind.

"I'm still worried about one thing, though. Even if I decide I want to try fusing, I'm afraid I'll ruin the experience for the other components. What if I accidentally take over?"

"Knowing you, you won't, Lapis," Bismuth assured.

Lapis stared at her friends, then got a determined look on her face. "Okay. I'll try."

"All right!" Bismuth cheered, grabbing her friend in a bear hug. Peridot joined in.

This time, they didn't fuse.

()

Peridot carefully melded the finishing touches of her meep morp together. She stepped back, admiring her work. "Voila! A Peridot original!"

She took her piece of art and set it on the shelf of the art studio to show her class tomorrow. She then turned to leave, only to find Bismuth and Lapis at the doorway. "Bismuth! Lazuli! What brings you two here?"

Lapis stepped in. "Bismuth and I were talking, and we realized something. We never even asked how _you_ felt about the fusion."

"How _I_ felt?" To be honest, Peridot had been so caught up in comforting Lapis that she hadn't thought about it. "Well, umm…"

"Say whatever you want, Peridot," Bismuth said.

"Hold on! I'm thinking! So, before it happened, I was perfectly okay with _not_ fusing. I could see why the other Crystal Gems liked doing it, but it didn't sound appealing to me. But now...during the brief time we were fused, I felt things I never felt before. And _good_ feelings, too. I...think I wouldn't mind doing it again."

Peridot smiled, then asked, "By the way, I forgot to ask this earlier: what became of that ruby?"

Bismuth's eyes took on a far-away look. "Oh, the Crystal Gems made quick work of her after we unfused. She was imprisoned in a bubble, but was eventually released by her comrades in a raid. I don't know what happened to her after that, but if she's still alive, I hope she's found peace in Era 3. No doubt she was also traumatized by her time in our fusion."

"What would you do if you ever ran into her?" Lapis asked.

"Well, I think I'd ask how she's doing, then I'd tell her that the past is the past and that I'd made peace with it. Then I'd wish her well for the rest of her life."

Peridot questioned, "Does the fusion have a name?"

Bismuth looked uncomfortable. "Yes. Hematite. Even now, I don't really like hearing that name. It's just...really unpleasant."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Peridot."

Lapis then spoke. "In other news, we've spoken to Garnet and she's agreed to give us fusion therapy. We start tomorrow afternoon."

Peridot grinned. "That's good. I hope this works, Lazuli."

"I do, too, Peridot."

()

If any of them said it was an easy road, they'd be lying.

It took years of hard work and effort. Several times, Lapis felt like giving up, but the thought of her friends would motivate her to keep trying.

It was months before Lapis could bring herself to fuse again, and even longer than that to actually start getting comfortable. It was torture, especially as she was reminded of Malachite over and over again. But, through it all, Lapis would think to herself, _If Bismuth could do it, then so can I_.

It didn't help that their progress kept getting interrupted by new threats, especially where Steven was concerned. But they kept going.

Finally, Lapis felt like she could fuse comfortably.

They were in the same grassy fields as before. Several of their friends had come for support, including Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, and Steven.

"Are you ready, Lapis? Remember, you can always back out if you feel you need more time," Bismuth gently reminded her.

"No, Bismuth. I don't want to make all that hard work be for nothing."

Lapis, Bismuth, and Peridot stood in the center, a few yards away from each other. They faced each other, then bowed, as their gemstones glowed in anticipation.

Peridot then did a clumsy-looking dance. Those who didn't know her would say that it was bad, but it really was just her style.

Lapis followed with a lot of hand motions and jumps. Bismuth was actually the most graceful of them all, a combination of Garnet and Pearl's dances.

They moved towards each other, then paused, giving Lapis one last chance to back out. She rolled her eyes, then held her hands out.

The trio joined hands and the fusion process began, forming her once again. She gazed at her surroundings, this time not with fear and confusion, but with curiosity.

She then bent down and greeted her fellow gems. Garnet in particular was excited, even though they'd already met.

"Hello," the fusion said softly.

"Hello, fellow fusion," Garnet stated. "Who are you?" This was a question asked many times, but this time, the three-gem fusion felt confident in answering.

"Who am _I_? I'm the embodiment of the friendship of three gems. They always have each other's back, especially in times of crisis. They've had their respective traumas, but that makes them even closer. And," the fusion paused for dramatic effect. "my name is Labradorite!"

The crowd of gems cheered as Labradorite celebrated by taking the water out of a nearby pond and raining it all over herself and everybody. She then laughed, turned white, and unfused to reveal her components hugging.

"Ha-ha! You did it, Lapis, you did it!" Bismuth shouted excitingly.

"I'm so proud of you, Lazuli!" Peridot sounded choked up.

Lapis just nonchalantly accepted their praises. "Yeah, I did it. Hooray for me."

She was then dog-piled by everybody else. She was shocked, but then smiled.

Thanks to her friends, another one of her scars was faded.

**Lapis states in "Why So Blue?" that she still thinks fusion is a prison. While it is likely that she will never fuse, that doesn't mean it's impossible for her to fuse again.**

**I'm planning on using Labradorite for a future story. Her name comes from the fans, but her design is my own.**

**I hope to see more development on Bismuth, Lapis, and Peridot's relationship, like how they became a trio in the first place. **

**I like to think Malachite wasn't the only toxic fusion out there...**

**CocoDisney out!**


End file.
